By The Way
(Warner Bros)
After moving towards a straight rock style on their last outing, Californication, the Chili Peppers have firmly ditched the P-Funk and George Clinton influences that have characterised their near 20-year career. On the Los Angeles band's eighth album, By The Way, they opt for melodies and harmonies, invoking the Beach Boys and the Beatles (far more so than on their 1989 Abbey Road EP).
The catchy single and title track was a foretaste of this new-found pop sophistication. Irresistible hooks manifest themselves throughout on tracks such as Universally Speaking and This Is The Place. Perhaps age has mellowed them - founding members Anthony Kiedis and Flea have both turned 40 - but there is still fire in their bellies. Kiedis' soulful yet edgy vocals and Flea's aggressive bass playing are little diminished by the maturing sound.
Remarkably, the Chili Peppers have retained the same line-up from 1999's Californication, most importantly the tailor-made talents of the band's guitarist John Frusciante, who also pens most of the bittersweet lyrics. This rare stability may also explain how assured their sound has become.
True to form there is some fat which could have been trimmed at the studio. Cabron goes a Spanish guitar too far, while the ska-flavoured On Mercury sounds out of kilter. But with 16 tracks it would be foolhardy to expect otherwise. Taken as a whole, By The Way cements the band's development into rock performers with credibility yet capable of stealing the radio waves. The older and wiser Chili Peppers might not be so red hot, but they still have a sting.
